History 1990s

1990 Rally of New Zealand (New Zealand)

Overview Route Results Cars Challenges

Overview

Event Name: 1990 Rally of New Zealand (New Zealand)

Date: June 30 – July 3, 1990

Start Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Finish Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Total Distance: ~520 km of special stages

Surface: Gravel

The 1990 Rally of New Zealand saw the arrival of a new star. Colin McRae, driving for Ford, stunned the WRC world by taking his first career victory on some of the smoothest, fastest gravel stages in the championship. Despite fierce competition from seasoned pros, McRae’s attacking style, calm composure, and unmistakable commitment lit up the New Zealand forests and secured a historic breakthrough for both driver and team.

Route

Whangarei Region: Rolling terrain with soft berms and excellent visibility allowed bold lines and heavy commitment into corners.
Rotorua Forests: Tighter sections where pace note trust and throttle balance were key to avoiding costly mistakes.
Open Hills and Coastal Zones: Long, sweeping bends with variable grip levels depending on weather and stage evolution.

The rally featured high-speed gravel tracks across New Zealand’s North Island—fast, cambered, and flowing stages built for confidence and rhythm:

McRae exploited the terrain’s rhythm perfectly, building speed through the rally and holding off more experienced rivals with raw precision and a fearless edge.

🏆 Results

Overall Winner
Colin McRae & Derek Ringer · Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth
2nd Place
Ari Vatanen & Bruno Berglund · Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
3rd Place
Carlos Sainz & Luis Moya · Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165

McRae’s win announced the beginning of a new WRC chapter—his fearless style and natural speed left a lasting impression in just his second full WRC season.

Navigation & Challenges

  • High-Speed Commitment: New Zealand’s roads reward full-send confidence—McRae’s signature bravery made him the fastest through many of the long bends.
  • Minimal Errors: Despite his youth, McRae avoided major mistakes—an uncharacteristic but perfectly timed mature performance.
  • Adaptability: The changing light and terrain made pace notes critical—Ringer and McRae were in total sync from start to finish.

The 1990 Rally of New Zealand was the birth of a legend—Colin McRae’s first win showed that a new era of fearless, flat-out rallying had arrived.

← Previous Event 1990 Acropolis Rally (Greece)
Back to Events Index
1990 Rally Argentina (Argentina) Next Event →

Watch rallies anywhere — bypass region blocks with NordVPN.

Fast servers for HD streams Servers in 60+ countries 30-day money-back

Unblock coverage — Save up to 77% + 3 months free

Sponsored link. Using our partner links helps support Compromised Internals at no extra cost to you.